For a little levity to ring in the new year, we visit Northern Virginia. The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development has pounced on the Internet’s latest viral trend – The Mannequin Challenge – in our profession’s own idiomatic way.

The Mannequin Challenge dictates that participants freeze mid-motion in an elaborate posture, while a camera records them in an uninterrupted tracking shot, all while set to music. Various organizations have created their own versions, including sports teams, schools, recording artists, political campaigns, and now, economic development organizations.

Loudoun County capitalized on the trend to build awareness of the organization and market the community. The video pauses briefly on a t-shirt emblazoned with #loudounpossible and a copy of the Washington Business Journal strategically opened to an article about the county. Even the video’s song is local, solicited from a Loudoun-based hip hop artist.

It just goes to show there will always be new and creative ways for EDOs to build their brands and showcase their communities.